Date: 1870
Source: Lenin Collected Works, vol. 28
Pages: 242-245

LENIN COLLECTED WORKS

NB
Character of the Polish movement "absurd" 
(39).
"Poland is even far more than France, 
by its historical development and its present 
situation, faced with a choice: either to be 
revolutionary or to perish" (39)....
In 1870 the Poles (émigrés) stood for the 
most part on the side of the Commune...
"Was that the deed of aristocrats?" (39).
"Polish aristocracy attaches itself more and 
more to Russia, in order under its dominion 
at least to reunite Poland; the revolutionary 
masses answer by offering their alliance to the 
German workers' party and fighting in the ranks 
of the International" (39).
"A people that oppresses other peoples 
cannot itself be free. The power which it 
needs to suppress the others finally always 
turns against itself" (40) — addressed to Russia: 
the uprising of Poland "is a necessity... for 
the Russians themselves" (NB) (40).

"Social Relations from Russia"

"Social Relations from Russia" (1873)

..."The great bourgeoisie of Petersburg, 
Moscow, Odessa, which in the last ten years, 
notably through the railroads, has developed 
with unprecedented rapidity... all Russian 
large-scale industry, which exists only through 
protective tariffs,... would all these significant 
and rapidly growing elements of the population 
have no interest whatsoever in the existence 
of the Russian state?..." (p. 52) (against 
Tkachev)

FR. ENGELS. ARTICLES FROM "VOLKSSTAAT"

The character of the Polish movement "absurd" 
(39).
"Poland, even far more than France, by all 
its historical development and by its present 
position is placed before an alternative — to 
be revolutionary or to perish" (39)....
In 1870 the Poles (émigrés) stood for the 
most part on the side of the Commune...
"Was that the deed of aristocrats?" (39).
"Polish aristocracy increasingly draws 
closer to Russia, in order under its dominion 
at least to reunite Poland; the revolutionary 
masses answer by offering their alliance to the 
German workers' party and fighting in the 
ranks of the International" (39).
"No people can be free if it oppresses 
other peoples. The armed force needed for 
it to suppress other peoples finally always 
turns against itself" (40) — addressed to 
Russia: the uprising of Poland "is a necessity... 
for the Russians themselves" (NB) (40).

"Social Relations in Russia"

"Social Relations in Russia" (1873)

..."The great bourgeoisie of Petersburg, 
Moscow, Odessa, developing over the last ten 
years with unprecedented rapidity, especially 
thanks to the construction of railroads... all 
Russian large-scale industry, existing only 
thanks to protective tariffs,... are all these 
influential and rapidly growing elements of 
the population not in the least interested in 
the existence of the Russian state?..." (p. 52) 
(against Tkachev)

LENIN COLLECTED WORKS

Postscript (1894) — to the article "Social 
Relations from Russia" — ends with the 
following phrase:
"This (the revolution in Russia) will not 
only tear the great mass of the nation, the 
peasants, out of the isolation of their villages, 
which form their 'mir', their world, and lead 
them onto the great stage where they learn to 
know the external world and thus themselves, 
their own situation and the means of salvation 
from their present distress, but it will also 
give the workers' movement of the West a 
new impetus and new, better conditions for 
struggle, and thereby accelerate the victory 
of the modern, industrial proletariat, without 
which present-day Russia can arrive at a 
socialist transformation neither from the 
commune nor from capitalism" (p. 72).

FR. ENGELS. ARTICLES FROM "VOLKSSTAAT"

Postscript (1894) — to the article "Social 
Relations in Russia" — ends with the 
following phrase:
"It (the revolution in Russia) will not only 
tear out the basic mass of the nation, the 
peasants, from the isolation of their villages, 
which constitute their 'mir', their universe, 
and lead them onto the broad arena where 
they learn the external world, and together 
with it themselves, their own situation and 
the means of salvation from their present 
distress, — the Russian revolution will also 
give new impetus to the workers' movement 
of the West, create for it better conditions 
of struggle, and thereby accelerate the 
victory of the modern industrial proletariat, 
a victory without which present-day Russia 
can neither through the commune nor through 
capitalism arrive at a socialist transformation 
of society" (p. 72).
